History is full of silver-tongued scoundrels. So if you find yourself in a 19th-century battle of wits, best not to bring a dagger to a musket fight. The solution for any quantum leaper: Jonathon Green’s new book, Green’s Dictionary of Slang, a 6,200-page lexicon spanning more than half a millennium. Try one of these gems out as you sail through time, you beef-witted dunnigan.
1550-1600
Chafe-littern.
An impudent, cheeky person
Beef-witted adj. Stupid, simple
1600-1650
Lerrycometwangn.
A fool, a simpleton
1650-1700
Shabberoon n.
A shabby person
Sir Posthumous Hobbyn.
An obsessive dandy
1800-1850
Dismal jimmyn.
A miserable, gloomy person
Abstractionist n.
A pickpocket
1750-1800
Gollumpusn.
A large, loutish, uncoordinated person
Abrahamern.
A tramp
1700-1750
Demi-repn.
A woman of doubtful reputation
1850-1900
Fhawknern.
A thief who steals poultry
Cakey-pannum fencern.
A street-seller of pastries
1900-1950
Dunnigann.
One who hangs around restrooms, hoping to steal
Crow mcgeeadj.
No good, unreal, false
1950-2000
Flaba-flabaadj.
Good-for-nothing
Oxygen thief n.
A completely worthless person